Arvind Mahankali of Bayside Hills, New York holds his trophy after the finals of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 30, 2013 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Mahankali has won the championship of the annual spelling contest after he correctly spelled the word "knaidel." less

Arvind Mahankali of Bayside Hills, New York holds his trophy after the finals of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 30, 2013 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, ... more

Arvind Mahankali (2nd L) of Bayside Hills, New York celebrates with his father Srinivas, mother Bhavani, and nine-year-old brother Srinath after the finals of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 30, 2013 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Mahankali has won the championship of the annual spelling contest after he correctly spelled the word "knaidel." less

Arvind Mahankali (2nd L) of Bayside Hills, New York celebrates with his father Srinivas, mother Bhavani, and nine-year-old brother Srinath after the finals of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 30, 2013 ... more

Arvind Mahankali of Bayside Hills, New York receives his trophy from president of the E.W. Scripps Company Rich Boehne after the finals of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 30, 2013 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Mahankali has won the championship of the annual spelling contest after he correctly spelled the word "knaidel." less

Arvind Mahankali of Bayside Hills, New York receives his trophy from president of the E.W. Scripps Company Rich Boehne after the finals of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 30, 2013 at Gaylord National ... more

Scripps National Spelling Bee champion Arvind Mahankali, 13, of Bayside Hills, N.Y. pats second place finisher Pranav Sivakumar, 13, Tower Lakes, Ill., on the shoulder after Sivakumar incorrectly spelled his final word during the finals. less

Isabel Cholbi of San Bernardina, California, celebrates after she correctly spelled her word in the round five of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 30, 2013 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Forty-two have advanced to the semifinal of the annual spelling contest for the championship. less

Isabel Cholbi of San Bernardina, California, celebrates after she correctly spelled her word in the round five of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 30, 2013 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention ... more

Isabel Cholbi (R) of San Bernardina, California, celebrates with Katharine Wang (2nd R) of Beijing, China, after she correctly spelled her word in the round five of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 30, 2013 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Forty-two have advanced to the semifinal of the annual spelling contest for the championship. less

Isabel Cholbi (R) of San Bernardina, California, celebrates with Katharine Wang (2nd R) of Beijing, China, after she correctly spelled her word in the round five of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May ... more

Joseph Kirkpatrick of Anderson, Indiana, reacts after he misspelled his word in round five of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 30, 2013 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Forty-two have advanced to the semifinal of the annual spelling contest for the championship. less

Joseph Kirkpatrick of Anderson, Indiana, reacts after he misspelled his word in round five of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 30, 2013 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National ... more

Mary Geneve Skirvin of Nashville, Indiana, tries to spell her word during round five of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 30, 2013 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Forty-two have advanced to the semifinal of the annual spelling contest for the championship. less

Mary Geneve Skirvin of Nashville, Indiana, tries to spell her word during round five of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 30, 2013 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, ... more

Eva Kitlen of Niwot, Colorado, reacts after she misspelled her word in the round six of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 30, 2013 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Forty-two have advanced to the semifinal of the annual spelling contest for the championship. less

Eva Kitlen of Niwot, Colorado, reacts after she misspelled her word in the round six of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 30, 2013 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, ... more

Vismaya Kharkar of Bountiful, Utah, competes in the semifinals of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland, Thursday, May 30, 2013. Kharkar made it through as a Bee finalist.

Vismaya Kharkar of Bountiful, Utah, competes in the semifinals of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland, Thursday, May 30, 2013. Kharkar made it through as a Bee finalist.

Arvind Mahankali, 13, of Bayside Hills, N.Y., concentrates on his word "galere" before spelling it correctly during the final round of the National Spelling Bee on Thursday, May 30, 2013, in Oxon Hill, Md.

Arvind Mahankali, 13, of Bayside Hills, N.Y., concentrates on his word "galere" before spelling it correctly during the final round of the National Spelling Bee on Thursday, May 30, 2013, in Oxon Hill, Md.

Janice Liebenberg, Sponsorship and Operations Coordinator, Scripps Spelling Bee, holds up the medals given to spellers advancing to the final round round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Thursday, May 30, 2013. less

Janice Liebenberg, Sponsorship and Operations Coordinator, Scripps Spelling Bee, holds up the medals given to spellers advancing to the final round round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., ... more

Vismaya Kharkar, 14, of Bountiful, Utah, left, is congratulated by Amber Born, 14 of Marblehead, Mass., after spelling the word "agelicism" correctly during the semifinal round of the National Spelling Bee on Thursday, May 30, 2013, in Oxon Hill, Md. less

Vismaya Kharkar, 14, of Bountiful, Utah, left, is congratulated by Amber Born, 14 of Marblehead, Mass., after spelling the word "agelicism" correctly during the semifinal round of the National Spelling Bee on ... more

Jonathan Caldwell, 13, of Hendersonville, Tenn., shrugs his shoulders after getting the word "pergameneous" incorrect during the semifinal round of the National Spelling Bee on Thursday, May 30, 2013, in Oxon Hill, Md. less

Jonathan Caldwell, 13, of Hendersonville, Tenn., shrugs his shoulders after getting the word "pergameneous" incorrect during the semifinal round of the National Spelling Bee on Thursday, May 30, 2013, in Oxon ... more

Sriram Hathwar, 13 of Painted Post, N.Y., left, reaches out to shake hands with Syamantak Payra, 12, of Friendswood, Texas, right, as he high-fives Vismaya Kharkar, 14, of Bountiful, Utah, as Chetan Reddy, 13 of Plano, Texas, yellow shirt, and Arvind Mahankali, 13, of Bayside Hills, N.Y., center, watch after they learned that they will advance to the final round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Oxon Hill, Md., Thursday, May 30, 2013. less

Nadar Chandran reacts after his daughter Nikitha Chandran, 13, of Valrico, Fla., spells the word "peristalith" correctly during the semifinal round of the National Spelling Bee, Thursday, May 30, 2013, in Oxon Hill, Md. At left is Sumita Chandran, Nikitha's mother. less

Nadar Chandran reacts after his daughter Nikitha Chandran, 13, of Valrico, Fla., spells the word "peristalith" correctly during the semifinal round of the National Spelling Bee, Thursday, May 30, 2013, in Oxon ... more

People wait for the semifinal round at the the Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 30, 2013 in National Harbor, Maryland. Forty-one contestants advanced Wednesday to the semi-finals of the top US spelling contest, the first to also ask competitors know what the words mean. They were among 281 youngsters from eight nations who gathered at the Gaylord National Resort outside Washington for the three-day Scripps National Spelling Bee that is an enduring American institution. less

People wait for the semifinal round at the the Scripps National Spelling Bee on May 30, 2013 in National Harbor, Maryland. Forty-one contestants advanced Wednesday to the semi-finals of the top US spelling ... more

Photo: BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI, AFP/Getty Images

People wait for the semifinal round at the the Scripps National... Photo-4713052.63475 - Houston Chronicle

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Katharine Wang, 11, of Beijing, China, center, gathers herself before the start of the semifinal round of the National Spelling Bee, Thursday, May 30, 2013, in Oxon Hill, Md. From left are, Eva Kitlen of Niwot, Colo., Wang, and Audrey Bantug, 13, of San Ramon, Calif. less

Katharine Wang, 11, of Beijing, China, center, gathers herself before the start of the semifinal round of the National Spelling Bee, Thursday, May 30, 2013, in Oxon Hill, Md. From left are, Eva Kitlen of Niwot, ... more

Rebecca Lisk of Caledonia, Illinois, celebrates after she correctly spelled the word "brankursine" in round three of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 29, 2013 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. Spellers competed in the annual spelling contest for the championship. less

Rebecca Lisk of Caledonia, Illinois, celebrates after she correctly spelled the word "brankursine" in round three of the 2013 Scripps National Spelling Bee May 29, 2013 at Gaylord National Resort and Convention